People power has achieved a traffic U-turn victory at a dangerous road on an East Cleveland hill.

Redcar and Cleveland Council wanted to install segregated HGV and car and light traffic lanes on the downside of the steep and winding A171 bank just outside Guisborough in a bid to make the route safer.

But locals slammed the scheme as confusing and dangerous.

In the last four years, there have been eight fatalities and around 90 injury accidents on the Guisborough to Whitby A171 route, including some serious smashes on the Birk Brow bank.

But after consulting locals at Moorsholm, Stanghow and Lingdale, who said the scheme to split lorries and coaches and caravans, cars and vans would be a recipe for disaster, the council has scrapped the plan.

Residents in the Esk Valley area were also strongly opposed to the scheme.

The plan was to channel vehicles like lorries, coaches and tractors into the left hand down lane on the bank while cars, light vans and motorcycles would be confined to the right hand lane.

Instead, the authority is to introduce a 50mph speed limit up and down Birk Brow along with other safety measures.

Moorsholm resident Graeme Aldous, who made a 14-minute video to prove the potential danger of the scheme said: "This just was not thought through by the council.

"It would have been totally chaotic and confusing for drivers to have to separate out into respective HGV and light traffic at the top of the bank. It is also the only safe overtaking point on this road for many miles.

"Common sense has won a great victory."

Liz Wilson, also of Moorsholm, said: "To segregate traffic like this on Birk Brow would have been very dangerous. The run-up to Birk Brow and the run-off are like race tracks."

Borough Councillor Steve Kay said he is pleased residents have won the day after a tough battle.

He said: "People make hundreds of thousands of journeys up and down Birk Brow every year.

"The main reason why residents opposed this was because this is one of the only safe overtaking places between Whitby and Guisborough and people would have been tempted to overtake elsewhere on single carriageways where it is not safe.

"I fully support the residents for their common sense."

Sylvia Szintai, borough lead member for the environment, said she has personally made the decision to scrap the scheme using delegated powers.

She said: "There were quite a few objections and we have decided to go ahead instead with a 50mph speed limit, some white lining and a better non-skid surface on the hill.

"We have listened to people with local knowledge and decided not to go ahead with the carriageway plan."